2003 Chevrolet Impala Owner's Manual - Page 221

Remember: Anti-lock doesn't change the time you need to get your foot up to the brake pedal or always decrease stopping distance. If you get too close to the vehicle in front of you, you won't have time to apply your brakes if that vehicle suddenly slows or stops. Always leave enough room up ahead to stop, even though you have anti-lock brakes. Using Anti-Lock Don't pump the brakes. Just hold the brake pedal down firmly and let anti-lock work for you. You may feel a slight brake pedal pulsation or notice some noise, but this is normal. If you have anti-lock, you can steer and brake at the same time. However, if you don't have anti-lock, your first reaction - to hit the brake pedal hard and hold it down - may be the wrongthing to do. Your wheels can stop rolling. Once they do, the vehicle can't respond to your steering. Momentum will carry it in whatever direction it was headed when the wheels stopped rolling. That could be off the road, into the very thing you were trying to avoid, or into traffic. If you don't have anti-lock, use a "squeeze" braking technique. This will give you maximum braking while maintaining steering control. You can do this by pushing on the brake pedal with steadily increasing pressure. In an emergency, you will probably want to squeeze the brakes hard without locking the wheels. If you hear or feel the wheels sliding, ease off the brake pedal. This will help you retain steering control. If you do have anti-lock, it's different. See "Anti-Lock Brakes." In many emergencies, steering can help you more than even the very best braking. Braking in Emergencies At some time, nearly every driver gets into a situation that requires hard braking. 4-8